Undhiyu (Roasted vegetables)

Undhiu literally means upside down, or flipped over. It is a typically Gujaraati vegetable dish, renowned, and fit for a banquet. It consists of stuffed vegetables, a bean & herb mix, and muthia and is traditionally served with puri and plain rice. Shopping for all the ingredients usually becomes a scavenger hunt!

The vegetables:

3 yams, peeled & cubed

8 small batekaa (potatoes), scrubbed & slit into quarters

8 small kaandaa (onions), peeled & slit into quarters

2 green bananas, scrubbed & cut into 3” segments & slit into quarters

10 small eggplants, slit into quarters & soak in salt water

The stuffing:

1 cup chanaa no lot (chick‑pea flour)

1 teaspoon marchu (cayenne pepper)

2 teaspoon dhaanaa jiru (powdered coriander & cumin seeds)

1 teaspoon hardar (turmeric)

2 tablespoon (?) hing (asafetida)

½ teaspoon mithu (salt)

1 teaspoon saaker (sugar)

2 tablespoon tel (oil)

½ teaspoon garam masaalaa

1 tablespoon naariyel (coconut meat), shredded

½ teaspoon aadu (ginger), grated

2 cloves lasan (garlic), grated

10 tablespoon tel (oil)

1. Mix the chickpea flour, cayenne pepper, coriander-cumin, turmeric, asafetida, salt, sugar, 2 tablespoons oil, garam masaalaa, coconut, ginger & garlic. This is the stuffing.

2. Stuff the vegetables.

3. Pre‑heat the oven to 450F

4. Pour the 10 tablespoons oil in a large baking pan. Begin layering with the potatoes and yam at the bottom, the onions and eggplant in the middle, and end with the bananas on the top. Cover the tray with aluminum foil.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the tray, and foil, turning each vegetable around. Put the foil back on and bake for another 10 minutes.

The herb mix:

1 cup naariyel (coconut meat), shredded

10 sprigs kothmari (cilantro)

2‑4 lilu marchu (green chili), finely chopped

3 teaspoon aadu (ginger), grated

6 cloves lasan (garlic), chopped

1 teaspoon garam masalaa

1 teaspoon saaker (sugar)

2 teaspoon mithu (salt)

¼ teaspoon hing (asafetida)

10 oz lima beans, frozen

10 oz peas, frozen

10 oz Italian beans, frozen

10 oz French beans, frozen

6 tablespoon tel (oil)

6 teaspoon ajmo

6 teaspoon hing (asafetida)

½ cup pani (water)

1. Mix coconut, cilantro, green chilies, ginger, garlic, garam masalaa, sugar, salt & asafetida.

2. Add the lima beans, peas, Italian beans, French beans to the spice mixture.

3. Heat oil in a large pot. Add ajmo & asafetida. Wait till the spices start crackling. Add the bean & spice mixture, mixing well. Add water.

4. Cook on high heat for about 10‑20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked. Keep stirring every 5 minutes.

Source: Kokila & Prabha, Thanksgiving 1990